'Girls Enjoy Rape' Judge Loses Backing in Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday withdrew his support of Judge Emeritus Nissim Yeshaya for the presidency of the Likud party’s court, over a comment he had made earlier this week that some women “enjoy rape.”

Netanyahu made the decision after Army Radio revealed the comment in a report Wednesday morning.

Yeshaya, a former district court judge, said this week during a hearing that “there are girls who enjoy rape.” Yeshaya made the remark while serving as head of an appeals committee that ruled on an appeal of a teenager, now 19 years’ old, who was raped six years ago by four Palestinian youths near the West Bank’s Hizma roadblock, close to Jerusalem. The Defense Ministry had decided not to recognize the girl as a victim of terror activity.

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni later announced that Yeshaya would be stepping down from all of the official positions he still holds.

The court system in Israel often assigns emeritus judges to sit on appeals committees reviewing Defense Ministry decisions. These hearings are confidential and held behind closed doors.

Netanyahu called the judge’s comment “unfortunate” and stated that a person who thinks and expresses himself in such a way would not be fit to serve as the head of the judicial institution of the Likud movement.